REGISTERED FISHERFOLK INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN GPS TRAINING ON WEDNESDAY

(Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 19, 2021):
The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources will be hosting a Global Positioning System (GPS) training workshop in the Department of Marine Resources Conference Room on Wednesday October 20 at 6pm.
During an interview with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Media and Communication Unit, Director of Marine Resources, Dr. Marc Williams explained that the training will be held for registered fishers who are also registered boat owners in 2021 and who also provide data to the department.
He said the training is necessary to help keep fisherfolk and their equipment safe while at sea.
“As fishers go further and further distances and as they put more and more equipment in the marine environment, we would like them to keep track of the location of this equipment. Hence, the Department of Marine Resources in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, decided to do a GPS training for fisherfolk. This also ensures fisher safety when they go to sea and they have engine trouble, they are able to take the GPS mark and notify the authorities as to where they are at any given point in time”, he noted.
Dr. Williams explained that the training will begin in Basseterre but will continue in the various districts.
“This will be done in Basseterre at first and then we will go to the other communities so a selected few because of the COVID restrictions will be trained on Wednesday and hopefully within the month or two, we will have the remaining training for other fishers. So, we would like registered boat owners to come on out and participate in the training so that you can improve your safety at sea”, he expressed.
The GPS training forms part of the Ministry’s World Food Day Week of activities being held under the theme, “Our Actions Are Our Future – Better production, Better Nutrition, A Better Environment & a Better Life”.